What Have I Done
by starcrossedunicorn
Summary: In a last ditch desperate attempt to stop Voldemort, Dumbledore sends a girl back in time in hopes that she will be able to befriend the future Dark Lord, but the results aren’t quite what he had wished for. New Chapter finally up! Read and Review!
1. Prologue

_**Disclaimer**__: Harry Potter and all related characters belong to J.K. Rowling. They are used without permission, and no money is being made from this story. All original characters are my creation_

**What Have I Done**

_**Prologue**_

Albus Dumbledore stood at his office window looking solemnly out at the vast grounds of Hogwarts School. His hands were behind his back, and though he stood regal and tall, he felt as though he had failed everyone.

_Oh, James and Lily. It is my fault you are dead. I hope that you will one day be able to forgive, and I hope Harry will as well._

Dumbledore began to think of the what-ifs that a person often thinks of after a tragedy. What if he had insisted on being the secret-keeper? If he had, Lily and James would be alive, and Harry would not be an orphan. On the other hand, if he had, Voldemort would still be very much alive. A terrible win-lose situation.

What-if…

"Profesor Dumbledore, sir?"

Dumbledore looked up at the voice and turned. He had forgotten that though he was alone in his musings, he was not alone in the office. He smiled somberly at the young woman seated in front of his desk and walked over to sit down himself.

"I'm sorry, Isla," Dumbledore said, "I'm afraid I got lost in thought."

"That's all right, sir," Isla replied, "May I ask what this is about? I received your owl this morning."

"Yes, yes, thank you for your prompt reply. However, before we get into all that, how about a spot of tea?"

Without waiting for an answer, he waved his hand, and a full tea service appeared on his desk. He poured some into a cup and offered it to Isla who accepted with a grateful nod. He took a moment to play the part of a proper host and offered her sugar and biscuits. For a few minutes there was silence in the circular room as they both sipped tea and ate biscuits.

"It's going be a clear night," Dumbledore said finally.

"Yes," Isla agreed.

"No rain," Dumbledore added.

"Sir, you didn't bring me here to talk about the weather," Isla said setting her teacup down.

"No, no I did not," Dumbledore agreed and set his cup down, "Well, then there's no sense in beating around the bush. Isla, I have asked you here tonight because there is a very important mission that I would like to ask you to do for me. You are, of course, allowed to refuse, and I will not think any less of you. However, this, I'm afraid, may be the only way to truly stop Lord Voldemort,"

Isla gasped in terror at the sound of the name, but she recovered her composure and responded, "Tell me the mission."

"I believe that the only way for Voldemort to never come into power is for him to never exist," Dumbledore explained, "And for him to never exist, Tom Riddle must experience the one thing he has never known in his life: love."

"And how could I help with that, sir?"

"I would like to send you back in time to when Tom was still a student here."

"And you want me to…date him?"

Dumbledore chuckled at the disgust in her voice, "Well, I believe that merely being his friend will suffice."

"So, what will I use to go back in time? A time turner?"

"No, I will be sending you with an ancient spell," Dumbledore explained, "It has a few more complications than a time turner, but it's highly more precise."

"When do I leave?" Isla asked.

"Please do not give me your decision until you have heard the complications, Isla."

"Sorry, sir."

"It's alright. When you go back, you won't remember that Tom Riddle might one day become Voldemort and that you are there to stop him. You will only remember that you are there to try and be friends with him. Once you go back, you will have altered the past, and therefore the future. Because of this, no one in the present will remember you, and I will have forgotten all about this mission. This is a great sacrifice I am asking of you, Isla, but I strongly believe that you are the right person for this job."

"What will be my cover story when I go to Hogwarts?"

"You will take a note back with you that explains that you have been travelling around the world with your parents and are coming to Hogwarts to complete your education."

Isla chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully for a moment, "All right, I'll do it."

"You are truly a brave soul, Isla. The Sorting Hat did not make a mistake placing you in Gryffindor. I am truly honored and humbled to be in your presence."

"Anyone would do this sir, I feel honored that it's me you asked."

"Well," Dumbledore said, "I can perform the spell anytime you're ready."

"No time like the present," Isla replied shrugging.

"Then please stand in that circle," Dumbledore replied pointing to a white circle that had been drawn on the floor.

Isla stood in the circle, and Dumbledore began to speak the ancient spell. The room filled with blinding light, and a soft, gentle sound. He stated an exact date, time, and location, and then spoke to the final words of the spell.

The room slowly returned to its regular brightness, and when Dumbledore looked up, he wondered how he had come to be standing in the middle of his office.

"I must be thinking too hard," he said to himself, "I believe a mug of cocoa and some rest will do me some good."

(_Author's Notes: Hello, thank you for reading! The real adventure starts in the next chapter. Please R&R, reviews are like fuel for me, and I write faster when I receive lots of 'em!)_


	2. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer**__: Harry Potter and all related characters belong to J.K. Rowling. They are used without permission, and no money is being made from this story. All original characters are my creation_

**What Have I Done**

_**Chapter One**_

_**---------**_

The Past

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Isla dropped to her knees in the middle of the field where she had unceremoniously landed and heaved up the contents of her stomach. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she rose shakily to her feet and looked around. Nothing about this field looked like the past, which was now the present to her.

"Which way is Hogwarts?" she asked aloud even though there was no one there to answer her. She pulled her wand out and placed it in the palm of her hand. "Point me to Hogwarts."

The wand spun in her hand and pointed toward the rising sun, east. Isla dusted her robes off and started walking. As she walked, she tried to recall exactly why she had been sent to the past, but she could only recall one thing and that was that she absolutely had to make friends with Tom Riddle.

To do that, she would have to become a student at Hogwarts once again, and it had only been four months since she had finished her magical education back in the future. How was she going to get into the school and what would she tell them she had been doing all this time that she should have already been there?

Isla felt as though she had once known the answer to those questions, but she could only remember that she had to be friends with Tom Riddle.

Who was Tom Riddle?

Isla sighed as she continued her walk across the field. At least she remembered who she was and that she was a witch and that Hogwarts existed. If she had been dumped in the past with only the knowledge to make friends with Tom Riddle, well, she would be in a lot of trouble.

After what felt like hours of walking, Isla saw Hogsmeade coming into her view in the distance. Excited to see a place she recognized, she took off at full tilt running toward the tiny village. She ran past the Shrieking Shack, which now looked like a respectable house rather than a rundown place where ghosts lived, and headed straight for _The Three Broomsticks_. She planned to get a drink to settle her stomach and then head down to Hogwarts to try and negotiate her way in.

Then it occurred to her that she didn't have any money, so a drink was out of the questions. With another sigh, Isla sat on a bench outside the pub and began to ponder her plight.

"Isla?" a man asked

Isla froze; no one knew she was coming back to this time, so how could anyone know her name. She looked up slowly to find a much younger Albus Dumbledore standing before her.

"I'm terribly sorry, Isla, I didn't mean to startle you," the younger Dumbledore said. "I am Professor Dumbledore, Transfigurations teacher at Hogwarts. We received a letter from your parents explaining that you have been traveling the world with them these past few years and that you will be attending Hogwarts for your seventh year. They requested that someone meet you here at," he paused and examined his watch, "Well, five minutes from now, but it appears as though we are both early."

"Yes," Isla replied trying not to stammer, "Yes, that's right." Wait, hadn't the Dumbledore from the future said she'd bring a note with her? Perhaps she had misheard or misunderstood. Well, either way, she was here, and Hogwarts was apparently expecting her, so that was one problem taken care of.

"Well, no sense in dawdling around," Dumbledore said, "I'll take you down to the school and get you up to Headmaster Dippet's office and we'll get you sorted before lunch. Your trunk arrived safely yesterday evening and will be transferred to your dorm room once you're sorted, so you won't need to worry about that."

"Ah, right."

Isla stood up and followed Dumbledore down the path to Hogwarts. Judging by the varying colors of the leaves, Isla deduced that it was still early fall. That would mean she hadn't missed much of the semester and wouldn't have trouble catching up.

_Well of course I won't have trouble catching up, _Isla thought to herself, _I just finished school in June. I can't have forgotten anything yet._

They reached the front gates and Isla slowed down to look at the winged boars that flanked the entrance to the school. They looked newer even though Isla knew that they were put up when the school was built, and that had been a long, long time ago.

When they entered the school, Isla knew the way to the headmaster's office perfectly, but she had to pretend that she didn't. They climbed stairs, walked down long corridors and climbed more stairs until they reached the fifth floor. Isla was lucky that she knew her way around, it made keeping up in conversation with Dumbledore much easier. And anyone who knew Dumbledore knew that talking with him was like learning a dance number the seemed simple from a distance, but was actually quite complicated to learn. The end result was often beautiful and thought-provoking, but it always left a person slightly dizzy.

"And here we are," Dumbledore said when they reached the familiar gargoyle statue. He said the password, and after the door was revealed, they both stepped onto the spiraling staircase and rode it to the headmaster's door.

Dumbledore knocked lightly with his hand and after a voice beckoned him in, he opened the door and ushered Isla inside.

"Headmaster Dippet, this is Isla Pelonis, our new student," Dumbledore said.

"Ah yes, of course," Dippet replied, "Come in, Miss Pelonis and have a seat while I get the sorting hat."

Isla looked at Dumbledore hesitantly, but he nodded reassuringly, and she took the proffered seat. A moment later, she felt the sorting hat being placed on her head. She thought she heard the hat yawn as though it had been woken from a nap, but then it spoke and it sounded as awake as the time she'd put it on her head when she was eleven.

"What's this?" the hat asked in her head. "It seems as though you have no need to be here. You have already completed your education."

"Well, I have a reason for being here, and it's very important," Isla replied with her thoughts.

"Oh? And that reason would be?"

"I need to make friends with a boy named Tom Riddle. I can't remember why, but I know it's very important."

"Tom Riddle, you say?"

"Yes, could you maybe…help me?"

"And how could I help you, I am merely a sorting hat."

"Could you put me in his house?"

"Hmm, you do not have all the qualities of that house, but if it will help you, I shall do it."

The hat opened at the brim and shouted "Slytherin!" for everyone in the room to here.

"Thank you," Isla whispered mentally as Headmaster Dippet removed the hat from her head.

"Very good, very good," Dippet said, "Now if you'll both excuse me, I have letters to send out. Professor Dumbledore, if you could please show her to the Slytherin table in the Great Hall."

"Of course," Dumbledore agreed, "Come, Isla, let us go to lunch."

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Tom Riddle looked up from his book at the slender girl who had just taken a seat near him. He studied her with his dark eyes and thought that he had never seen someone who looked less like a Slytherin. She had long white-blonde hair, mossy green eyes, and blemish-free porcelain skin; not at all like a typical Slytherin who all tended to have dark hair and eyes with a few exceptions. Then it occurred to Tom that he had never seen her before, was she a new student? He gave her another once over and then returned to his reading.

"Who are you?" a girl near Tom named Gretchen demanded of Isla.

"Isla Pelonis," the new girl replied.

"Why are you here? You've never been a student here before," Gretchen demanded.

"I was travelling the world with my parents," Isla explained, "Do you mind? I'm trying to eat lunch."

Tom smiled to himself and stabbed a potato with his fork.

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Isla looked around the potions classroom uncomfortably. They were supposed to be making calming draughts, which wasn't a problem for her, she had made a perfect batch back in her sixth year. However, it seemed as though the calming draught was a seventh year endeavor in this time, and no one seemed to know what they were doing. Isla was only supposed to be on her third day; she shouldn't be able to make a potion she's supposedly never made before perfectly.

"Is something wrong, Miss Pelonis?" Professor Slughorn asked, "You haven't begun your draught."

"Umm," Isla began and her mind fumbled for a response. She laughed softly as though she were making a joke and then continued, "It's only my third day, sir, and, well, I feel like I could use some calming draught."

Slughorn also laughed, "Take a moment to collect yourself, dear, and then get started."

"Yes, sir," Isla replied.

She began to work on the potion and considered making a mistake or two on purpose, but something about her work ethic wouldn't let her. By the time Professor Slughorn had called for them to stop, she had produced a perfect cauldron of calming draught.

Professor Slughorn was going around the room peering into cauldrons and telling each person their grades. He peered into Tom Riddle's cauldron, which was one over from Isla's, winked at Tom, and then announced loudly for the whole class to hear that Tom once again proved to be the most proficient student at potions he had taught in his long years at Hogwarts.

He took a step toward Isla's cauldron, and she saw his eyebrows already beginning to rise. Isla wanted to disappear, to run out of the classroom and hide. She wanted to pick up her cauldron and drink all of its contents before Slughorn saw them.

"I…Miss Pelonis, this is astounding," Slughorn exclaimed, "Why I've never seen such a perfect example of a calming draught." He breathed in deeply, "Even breathing in the smell of it is having a calming effect."

Isla wanted to throw up; her stomach felt like it did the day she landed in the past. She felt Tom looking at her, but she couldn't bring herself to look back at him. She stood there, frozen to the spot as Slughorn praised her abilities, and when the bell rang to end class, she was the first one out of there.

Tom stared at her all throughout lunch. It was like his eyes were trying to bore right into her mind to figure out how she was so talented at potions when she hadn't had any formal training. Isla didn't eat her lunch, but spent the entire period staring at her empty plate.

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It took Isla three more days after the calming draught debacle to be able to talk with Tom Riddle. She had tried on several occasions, but every time she got near him, he would suddenly turn and walk away, or she would forget how to speak and run away herself. Finally, she spotted him in the library and formulated a plan to be able to talk to him. She adjusted her robes and smoothed her hair with her hand and walked over to where he was sitting.

"Excuse me," she asked softly, "Do you mind if I sit here also? There's a book here that I need and I thought it would be easier to return it to its place after I'm done."

Tom nodded once and she took the seat that was two seats down from him. She pulled a book off the shelf at random and pulled it off and opened it. She felt Tom trying to look over and see what she was reading.

She closed the book quickly, "I'm sorry, I should have introduced myself," she said. "I'm Isla Pelonis, and you're…Tom Riddle, right?"

Tom nodded once, "I know who you are."

"Oh, well…I was travelling the world with my parents, that's why I haven't been here so far," Isla went on, "My parents schooled me in magic while we were travelling, so that's why I'm able to be in seventh year even though I've never been here before. What do your parents do?"

"Dead," Tom replied coldly.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Isla replied.

"Don't be," Tom replied and a cold sort of silence fell over them.

Isla fiddled with her quill and considered pretending to take notes from the book she had pulled off the shelf. However, she didn't want to waste the fact that she had actually started talking to Tom, so she set her quill down and turned to him.

"Do you have any friends, Tom?" Isla asked.

"Excuse me?" Tom asked.

"Do you have any friends?" Isla repeated, "I mean, I've seen you around and you seem really popular, but you seem to have any actual friends."

"I'm Head Boy, I don't need friends."

"I haven't made any friends yet either. Everyone thinks I'm weird."

"The truly strong don't need friends."

Isla laughed softly, "Everyone needs at least one friend, Tom."

"Fine," Tom replied. He closed his book and moved over one seat so that they were next to each other. When he spoke again, it was as though he was giving an order and his voice chilled Isla to her very soul, "Then you and I will be friends, Isla."

"O-okay," Isla stammered unable to look away from his dark, mysterious eyes.

What was she getting herself into?

(_Author's Notes: This is a very short first chapter! I'm so sorry, the next will be longer, I promise! Thanks for reading and don't forget to review.)_


	3. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer**__: Harry Potter and all related characters belong to J.K. Rowling. They are used without permission, and no money is being made from this story. All original characters are my creation_

**What Have I Done**

_**Chapter Two**_

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The Present: June 24, 1995

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To say that Lord Voldemort was angry that night would be a gross understatement. _Livid_ was more like it, and even that was an understatement. His blood was boiling beneath his pale, white skin, and everything he looked at had a red overlay to it.

The boy, the damned boy had escaped again. He should have died in that graveyard. How could Wormtail, that worthless, cowardly rat, not have foreseen _Priori Incantatem_? He would pay for his error; he would pay dearly.

"P-please, Master!" Wormtail cried out mere minutes later as Voldemort was punishing him with a particularly painful Cruciatus curse. "Have mercy, my lord. Have…have MERCY!"

"It is your fault Potter is still alive!" Voldemort yelled. "Your fault we must now go into hiding until I can formulate our next move! _Crucio! Crucio!_"

"B-but, I g-gave you my arm and you r-rewarded me for my loy-loyalty!"

"And now I am punishing you for your failure, Wormtail. _Crucio_."

Voldemort watched as Wormtail cried out in pain another time and rolled about on the floor as though he were on fire. After a few minutes of watching, Voldemort lifted the curse and looked down on the pathetic rat with a look of contempt.

"You may stay the night in the shed out back, Wormtail," Voldemort said, "Go now and stay there until morning. I'll expect breakfast to be ready when I wake up tomorrow."

"You are merciful, Master. I thank you for your-," Wormtail said, practically groveling at Voldemort's feet.

"Go now!" Voldemort roared. "Go or I will do much worse to you than the Cruciatus."

Wormtail made a scared sound and then scurried from the room. Voldemort waited until he heard the back door open and close before he left the room he was in and went downstairs to a room he hadn't gone into in thirteen years.

The room was fully furnished with handsome furniture that would suit someone of elegance and refinement. A large bed was positioned near a window, and on it was an abundance of pillows. In front of the fire was a high, wing-backed chair that faced the fire and cast a long shadow along the floor from the firelight. Though he could not see anyone, Voldemort knew that someone was in that chair.

"Isla?" he asked.

The person in the chair rose slowly and turned to face him; it was Isla in all her youthful beauty. She smiled at Voldemort and glided over to him so gracefully it was like she was floating. She kissed him on his cheeks and then his mouth.

"I've missed you, my Lord," she said. Her voice was just as soft as it had been the day he first heard her speak.

"I've longed to see you as well, Isla," Voldemort replied, "Have you been faithful to me?"

Isla smirked and held up her right hand, "It's a clear as the day you put it there, my Lord," she said proudly.

"It must have been hard to remain faithful all these years."

"Thirteen years is nothing at all when you have all eternity to live, my Lord."

Voldemort nodded, pleased. He had no reason whatsoever to doubt Isla's faith to him. She had been his first and always his most faithful follower

"Do you still have the locket, Isla?" Voldemort asked.

"Of course," Isla replied and used her free hand to pull the locket out from under her robes. "I was wonder, my Lord, may I show you something I've been practicing?"

"You may," Voldemort replied.

Without a hint of apprehension, Isla unzipped her robes and dropped them to the floor. She stood before the dark lord in only her underwear and the locket. She closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment, and Voldemort watched as the locket disappeared inside her. It was like it had been absorbed into her skin.

"If anyone ever comes looking for it, I can simply hide it within me," Isla explained.

Voldemort smiled. A dark, sinister smile that would send most people running, but Isla also smiled and she stepped closer to him. Slowly, carefully, she wrapped her arms around Voldemort's waist. A moment later, he did the same and let her rest her head on his shoulder.

"I have a request, my Lord," Isla said.

"What is it?" Voldemort asked.

"For tonight, may I call you 'Tom' again?"

"Yes, Isla, but only you; only you."

They retired to the bed and discovered each other carnally for the first time in thirteen years. The fire crackled and outside there was an entire world that wasn't yet aware of the dark lord's return.

***

Isla linked her arm with Voldemort's the next morning as they walked down to breakfast together. After their love-making, she had listened as he told her his new plan for killing the boy. He told her to keep the locket hidden within her, which she had immediately done. He told her that she would be the key to his victory because Dumbledore would no doubt send the boy to destroy the other horcruxes.

"And won't he be shocked to find out that one cannot be destroyed," Voldemort had said.

"Why, it could kill him!" Isla said dramatically and they both laughed.

They sat down to breakfast while Wormtail puttered around offering to refill coffee or second helpings. Isla loudly complained about Wormtail's performance and commented that a house elf would be a better servant.

"Don't you think so, my Lord?" Isla asked speaking as though Wormtail was not right at her side pouring creamer into her coffee. "There's only one thing lower than him."

"And what is that, Isla?" Voldemort asked.

"Mudbloods," Isla replied, "I could only be more disgusted by a mudblood."

Voldemort laughed, "I agree with you. Wormtail, return to the shed. I shall call you if we need you."

"Yes, my Lord," Wormtail replied and bowed his way out of the room.

Voldemort turned to Isla and stroked her skin where the locket would normally lay. It was now hidden deep within her and protected them both from death. She was his perfect hiding place. With the locket within her, she had become the perfect horcrux: indestructible and beautiful and priceless.

"My Lord, I know that look," Isla said, a knowing smile on her face, "Would you like to return to the bedroom, or shall I clear the table.

"Clear the table, Isla," Voldemort replied.

(_Author's Notes:_ _Short chapter, oh my! Oh dear, Isla became a supporter of Voldemort, how did this happen? Guess you'll have to keep reading to find out. A huge "Thank you!" to everyone who has subscribed to this story and to everyone who has reviewed. Please keep reviewing everyone and I hope you'll stick around! Whoops, I just noticed I promised that this chapter would be longer. Sorry! Next chapter, I hope.)_


	4. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer**__: Harry Potter and all related characters belong to J.K. Rowling. They are used without permission, and no money is being made from this story. All original characters are my creation_

**What Have I Done**

_**Chapter Three**_

* * *

The Past

* * *

Isla tried her hardest to walk with her head held high down the halls of Hogwarts, but she could feel the other girls glaring at her with contempt and jealousy. They also talked about her behind her back, and they didn't bother keeping their voices down.

"One conversation and Tom Riddle is suddenly her best friend?" one girl, Mariella Fentress said in exaggerated disbelief as Isla passed by her and her friends.

"Honestly," one of Mariella's friends, "She must have slipped him a love potion or something."

"Must have," a second friend said, "I mean, just look at her. There's no way our Tom would ever want to be friends with _that!"_

"I heard from that she slept with ten men in one night," Mariella reported as though it were fact, "She's such a little whore."

Isla shook her head trying to shake away the memory of overhearing that awful conversation or any of the other ones she'd been subjected to recently. Isla hadn't realized that when she made friends with Tom she would only make friends with Tom. Her first time at Hogwarts, in the future, she had been quite popular –a good student, nice, friendly, Head Girl, but now she was suddenly at the bottom of the food chain –something to be despised and hated.

However, this wasn't the time to be wallowing in self-pity. Isla was supposed to meet Tom at the main doors to have lunch with him and he would notice if she wasn't cheerful. He always noticed somehow; it was like he knew her better than she knew herself.

Isla raised her head again, lifted it high into the air just to show those girls and any others that she wasn't going to give in to them. Still, they glared at her and they said vicious things about her whenever she passed by them. Awful, terrible things that made Isla's eyes shine with the tears associated with hurt feelings.

Still, Isla managed to make it to the entrance hall without shedding a single tear. She spotted Tom waiting for her at the main door with his back to her looking out into the courtyard. She blinked back tears and took a deep breath before approaching him and trying to make herself seem as cheerful as possible.

"Hi, Tom," she said when she reached him.

Tom turned around and smiled slightly, "Oh, there you are, Isla," he said. "Let's have lunch outside today."

"Okay," Isla agreed instantly.

It was the strangest thing, no matter what Tom suggested they do, Isla always wanted to do it as well. It was like he had this strange control over her, but that wasn't possible; no one could actually take away another person's free will. No, Isla just wanted to do what he wanted because he had such good ideas for things to do. And eating lunch outside on such a nice day as this was just one of them.

They walked to a large tree that provided ample shade from the sun and sat down. Tom had nicked food from the tables and stowed it in his bag, so he handed Isla a sandwich and took a bite from one himself.

Isla stared at her sandwich for a moment trying not to think of what those girls had said, but it kept gnawing at her and she found that she didn't really have an appetite. She sighed and lowered the sandwich to her lap not worrying about the crumbs that would get on her robes.

"What's with you, Isla?" Tom asked.

"What?" Isla asked, "What do you mean?"

"You're not eating," Tom pointed out, "Something has you distracted.

"Oh, no, it's nothing, Tom."

"Then why aren't you eating? Eat, Isla."

Isla picked up her sandwich and took a bite even though she still didn't have an appetite. Though the sandwich was turkey, it tasted like sawdust and Isla had a hard time chewing, but she ate a few bites to try and make Tom believe that nothing was wrong.

"That's better," Tom said, "Now do you want to tell me what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Isla insisted, "Hard day, you know."

"Isla, I know that this is more than just a 'hard day'. You've had hard days before, but never to the point of not wanting the food that I so thoughtfully nicked off the Hufflepuff table for you."

"I'm sorry. It's just…well, there are some girls who are spreading rather vicious rumors about me and I guess I let it get to me. I know I shouldn't have, but…words can hurt sometimes."

"What did they say?"

Isla felt the tears springing back to her eyes and she shut the tightly to stop them from falling. "They're saying I've been…familiar with several men recently and that I must have slipped you some kind of potion because I'm apparently not pretty enough for you to be friends with," she admitted.

"Who said that?" Tom asked with anger so apparent in his voice it was almost visible.

"It doesn't matter, I won't let it get to me anymore," Isla replied.

"Tell me who did it, Isla."

"Ah, Mariella Fentress and her two friends; I-I don't know their names."

"Good," Tom said his face set in some sort of strange determination, "Don't worry, Isla. They won't bother you anymore. I'll…talk to them; tell them what a wonderful person you are. You'll see, Isla, it'll all be all right."

Isla hoped he was right, but she couldn't think of a single thing he could do or say to those girls to make them hate her less.

* * *

The next day before breakfast, Mariella Fentress mysteriously became confused at the moving stairs and she stepped off the landing before the staircase reached her. The fall wasn't terribly far, but she wound up in the hospital wing with a broken arm and a concussion. Mariella's friends immediately went to Headmaster Dippet to claim that Isla had somehow caused it. So, before Isla had even reached the great hall for breakfast, she had been whisked away and now she was sitting in the headmaster's office with the headmaster himself and her two accusers.

"Miss Pelonis, these girls seem to believe that you had something to do with Miss Fentress' unfortunate accident this morning," Dippet said his voice neither accusatory nor approving.

"I didn't," Isla protested.

"She did!" one of the girls exclaimed, "I saw her on the stairs when it happened!"

"There were lots of people on the stairs when it happened," Isla retorted.

"But you're jealous of Mari," the girl replied, "You're the only one who had a reason to do it."

"She hates me, but I would never hurt anyone," Isla replied.

"Girls, back and forth bickering is not going to solve anything," Dippet said rather loudly to break up their argument.

"I didn't do anything, Headmaster, I swear," Isla said and pulled her wand out and offered it to him. "You can check my wand."

"Ah, then I know you have done nothing," Dippet said, "You may g-."

"She's tricking you into thinking she's innocent!" the second girl exclaimed, "Making you think that she's innocent by offering her wand. I demand that you check it!"

Dippet gave the second girl a hard stare, "For your own verification, I will do it, Miss Jenkins, but never demand something of me again."

Isla had to work very hard not to smile victoriously when the Jenkins girl shrank back and apologized meekly to Headmaster Dippet who was performing _Priori Incantatem _on her wand. When he did it, the ghost of Isla's most recently used spell, (their most recent Charms lesson –_orchidus)_, floated silently out of her wand and dissipated into the air like smoke.

"Ah, a very nice 'orchidus', Isla, you may go," Dippet complimented her and hand Isla her wand back. He turned to the other two as Isla was leaving, "Miss Jenkins, Miss Smith, that more than settles things. You should return to breakfast as well."

Isla and the other two girls walked down the spiral staircase in silence. Isla felt them glaring at her and knew that they were just waiting to get away from the headmaster's office to say something, but for the time being, Isla decided to ignore them.

When they reached the hallway, Isla began to head to the Great Hall again in hopes of getting something to eat and telling Tom what happened before the bell for first period rang.

"We know you did it, Isla," Jenkins said. "You just covered your tracks with that charm. We'll figure it out and you are going to be in so much trouble. Mark my word."

Jenkins and Smith turned on their heels and marched away whispering to each other behind their hands and Isla watched them occasionally glare back at her. Slow, the hurt Isla had felt toward their actions and accusations turned to anger and then to blood-boiling hate.

She would never_, never _ever hurt someone just because they didn't like her. Mariella may have hated her, but that was no reason to send the girl off a ledge. Isla knew perfectly well that someone could be killed on those staircases, so she would never intentionally send someone off them.

Just as she was reaching the great hall, the bell rang and Isla's shoulders slumped. This was not turning into a good day at all. Not only had she been accused of a crime she didn't commit, but now she wasn't going to get breakfast either. She wanted to kick something; preferably Mariella Fentress.

Isla waited for Tom to come out of the great hall, and much to her delight, he'd brought her a sweet roll wrapped up in a napkin. She thanked him and began to eat it while they walked to Transfiguration.

"What happened to you this morning?" Tom asked, "I came to breakfast and you weren't there."

"Oh, it was awful," Isla replied and then told him the whole story about what happened to Mariella and how she'd been accused and then proven her innocence. When she finished her story, she gave Tom a very serious look and said, "I hate those girls, Tom. I know it's wrong of me, but I hate them."

"Mariella deserved it for what she was doing," Tom said bitterly and then added quietly, "And for being a mudblood."

"Tom!" Isla exclaimed shocked that he would use such a hateful term.

"I just mean that muggleborns are ruining this school and the wizarding world by allowing their non-magical parents and family a glimpse into our world," Tom explained.

"Well, not all of them are so-," Isla began, but Tom cut her off.

"All of them, Isla," he said with an angry gleam in his eye, "I know it's wrong of me to feel this way as head boy, but it's just how I feel. We wizards and witches are clearly superior to Muggles and we should be the ones to rule the world, but instead we hide like our magic is shameful. And on top of that, some witches and wizards just go out and blatantly marry muggles thus leaving our world open to be discovered when one of those stupid muggles will inevitably tells everyone they know about it."

"Well, I suppose that's possible, Tom, but-," Isla began again.

"Agree with me, Isla, I know you do," Tom said looking deep into her eyes with his own dark, mysterious ones.

"I…I –Well, of course I agree with you," Isla said; she could hardly believe that those words just left her mouth. Did she agree with him? If all muggleborns were like Mariella Fentress and her worthless friends (and they probably were), then, yes, she agreed with him. "I certainly agree with you."

Tom smiled darkly, almost victoriously. Then, without another word, he took her hand and they continued on their way to Transfiguration.

All throughout class, Isla barely paid attention to what Professor Dumbledore was teaching them. She knew all the material having already taken the class in the future. Instead, she began to wonder what other punishments Mariella Fentress deserved for being cruel and terrible and, worst of all, a mudblood.

(_Author's Notes: I have to apologize for the long wait for an update. It's November, and as many of you know, that means NaNoWriMo, so I spent a good chunk of October preparing for it, and the first part of November, I was writing like a maniac and this story had to be put on hold. I'm proud to say that I actually reached 50K on November 9__th__ and now I finally got to work on this story. I've gotten lots of emails telling me that people have been subscribing to my story, and I just wanted to say thanks to all of you. Please read and review, and I hope to have the next chapter up very shortly. *mwah*)_


	5. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer**__: Harry Potter and all related characters belong to J.K. Rowling. They are used without permission, and no money is being made from this story. All original characters are my creation_

**What Have I Done**

_**Chapter Four**_

* * *

The Present

* * *

Albus Dumbledore stood at his office window facing the grounds of Hogwarts, but he didn't look out at them. Instead, he removed his half-moon spectacles and pinched the bridge of his nose. It seemed that these days, the side of light was receiving no good news at all.

Dumbledore turned to look at Severus Snape who had just returned from a Death Eater meeting with Voldemort. Judging by the dark, exhausted look on Severus' face (which Dumbledore suspected mirrored his own), the potions' master did not have good –or even hopeful news to share.

Perhaps, Dumbledore thought, it had been too much to ask of Severus. Each time he went to one of those meetings he ran the risk of not coming back –alive or otherwise. And with each meeting he did return from, Severus brought news more grim than the last one.

"Albus," Severus said his usually cold and somewhat condescending voice tired and a bit shaky.

"Yes, Severus," Dumbledore said as he replaced his spectacles on their proper spot and went to sit behind his desk. "Would you care for some tea?"

"No, thank you," Severus replied.

Naturally, Dumbledore respected Severus' refusal, but he himself wanted a spot of tea, so he waved his wand anyway. A full tea service tray appeared on his desk with two cups in case Severus changed his mind. Dumbledore made a small show of adding sugar to his tea while Severus glared slightly at him as though he'd gone mad for wanting a nice hot beverage.

"Times aren't going to get any better, Albus," Severus said darkly, "And you can drink all the tea in the world, and that won't change anything."

Dumbledore sighed heavily and set his teacup into its saucer. "You are correct, Severus," he replied, "But we all have things that make us feel better, and drinking tea happens to be one of mine."

"I don't," Severus replied, "There are dark times coming, Albus, and nothing will make me feel better about it."

"Harry and his friends are out searching for the horcruxes now," Dumbledore replied, "We must have faith that they will find and destroy them all."

"They won't," Severus said, "It's impossible."

"I don't believe I understand, Severus."

"At the meeting tonight, the dark lord, he told us that he knows of your plan to have Potter find the horcruxes and destroy them, but he has already insured that Potter will never find them all. At each of our meetings, there is always one woman who does not wear a mask. Her name is Isla and she is all but the dark lord's wife. She wears one of the horcruxes as a locket and she uses a spell to make it…go within her thus making it impervious to harm even if she herself is killed."

Dumbledore was silent as he processed this information. So, all hope was lost after all. Voldemort had won, and the wizarding world, and all of mankind, was doomed forever.

A feeling of sadness and regret washed over the aged headmaster. This was his fault, it was his entire fault. Decisions he'd made in the past and in the present brought this upon the world and there was nothing, nothing at all that he could do. Suddenly, Dumbledore felt all of his hundred plus years and he wanted nothing more than to lie down and rest.

"Severus, I do not wish to appear rude," Dumbledore said finally, "But I would like to ask you to leave me for the evening. I need to think about…Get some well-deserved rest, Severus. I shall see you again in the morning."

Silently, Severus nodded and rose from his chair and Dumbledore waited until the door to his office had been closed firmly behind him before he put his face in his hands in defeat. There were so many things he could have done differently; so many times he made the wrong choice. There had been so many things he had been wrong about.

Who was this Isla, the dark lord's wife, and why did her name ring a bell somewhere in the back recesses of his mind? Somehow, Dumbledore felt that that was his fault as well.

(_Author's notes: Yes, I know this is a very, very short chapter, but to be honest –well, all the chapters set in the 'present' will be pretty short. Sorry about that, but the 'past' chapters will be longer. Thank you for reading and don't forget to review. *mwah*)_


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